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Aroma

Tom Dooley’s smart little café at the Craft Village just outside Donegal Town has won a lot of friends for its warm and friendly atmosphere and excellent freshly cooked food that offers much more than would be expected of a coffee shop.

Tempting cakes, desserts and breads are all homemade and chef Arturo de Alba Gonzalez’s menus include a frequently-changed blackboard, offering cooked-to-order dishes like real vegetable soups, fried polenta, prosciutto, garlic mushrooms and mixed leaves or white wine risotto with chargrilled chicken and seared asparagus, also salads like smoked chicken & avocado and, for the hungry young Mexican, the highly popular chimichangas.

Ingredients are impeccably sourced and everything looks and tastes delicious - the quality of the food and good cooking both show on the plate.

Service, under Tom’s supervision is knowledgeable and efficient - with good espresso coffee and an extensive tea menu to go with the great home bakes, this makes a good daytime stop.

And, although the coffee shop is small, there’s a large outdoor eating area for fine weather.

Seats 30 (outdoors, 16); children welcome (high chair, childrens menu, baby changing facilities); open Mon-Sat, 9.30am-5.30pm (L 12-4); set L €17.50; SC disc. Closed Sun, 25-26 Dec, 1 Jan. MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

1.6km (1m) outside town on old Ballyshannon road